


The Islander

by isoscelesfish, NamineTashio



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mermen, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Rating May Change, all pairings get airtime, fish lay eggs, flashbacks to drowning, haru goes to samezuka, makoto is a merman, mentions of muscular dystrophy, mpreg is possible, multi-ship, plot heavy, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-06 17:17:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3142379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isoscelesfish/pseuds/isoscelesfish, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamineTashio/pseuds/NamineTashio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Here there be fish.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fish out of Water

Water. The dream always starts with water, fingers stretching forward, carving through the dark haze as the current presses against him, soft at first, then stronger, dragging him down into the blackening void. There's no fighting it. The ocean bends to no one, but he isn’t afraid; he doesn't panic. Closing his eyes, he waits, watching the shadows above him fade as a voice rings through the water, calling his name.

Haru blinked against the sunlight, chasing the echoes of his dream as they scattered back into his subconscious, replaced by the soft whoosh of his oscillating fan. He sat up, wiping sweat from his brow as he peeled the sheets off his bare legs. The heat didn’t bother him much. If anything, it excused his abnormal bathing habits.

Glancing down at his sleeping roommate, Haru sighed and slid off the top bunk. Shivering in the fan’s wake, he checked the clock and crossed the dormitory, stepping into the cramped unit bath. It was that dream again, the dream that should be a nightmare. With everything that happened, he should be afraid of the water, but he wasn't. His feet slid into the tepid water and his body followed. It was cramped, much smaller than the bath at his house, and if it weren’t for the winter training sessions, he might actually regret the transfer to Samezuka.

With a long breath, Haru pulled his head under, and watched the refracting lights dance on the colorless ceiling like liquid fairy lights. The fixation was impossible to explain. He'd always liked being in the water, but recently... Recently, even he had to admit it was a problem. Rin joked about it, laughing about new brands of paraphilia. But it didn’t feel like that. It wasn’t sexual. The world just felt...wrong. Sitting at school, walking home, listening to Rin sing at karaoke—Everything felt wrong. Everything except the water.

Was there any point in going to school when the beach was just a few blocks away…? How much trouble would he be in if he just… A shadow loom over the bathtub, and he recognized the red hair with equal measures of fondness and frustration. Of course Rin wouldn’t let him skip. Haru surfaced, shaking the excess moisture from his hair with a resigned sigh.

"There you are! You're going to be late!" Rin frowned down at him, already dressed and carrying his school bag.

"Sorry..." Haru mumbled, reaching up to catch the other boy's hand. Rin helped him out of the water and tossed him a towel, registering the swim trunks with a roll of his eyes. He sighed in exasperation, but then his expression relaxed into a kind smile.

"You need to stop making this a habit, Haru." Rin spoke. "I can't keep coming to check on you."

Confused, Haru caught the time on Rin’s watch, and his eyes eyebrows lifted in surprise. He'd been in the bath for almost an hour, which meant his roommate must have washed up in the public toilet again.

"Yeah...” Haru averted his eyes, following a drop of water as it rolled down his legs and fell onto the reinforced plastic. “I know..."

"No time for breakfast today.” Rin ordered from the cramped entryway, words slightly muffled by the scuff of his shoes. “Hurry up and get dressed. We need to go."

Haru obeyed without question, toweling his hair, and concealing a fresh swimsuit under his uniform. Grabbing his bag, he stuffed a few tins of mackerel in with his books and met his friend at the door.

"Ready?" Rin smiled, stepping into the hall and holding the door open as Haru nodded, and followed.

The whistle blew, and seven bodies splashed into the pool with varying precision. The captain clicked his stopwatch, surveying the club members as he recorded their times. Gou usually took care of team records, but it would be Rin drafting the line-up for regionals, and he felt inclined to check his team's progress first hand. The competition would take place a week before summer break, and while he loved being captain, he hated making this kind of choice. Choosing one swimmer over another could make or break their hopes for college scouts or scholarships. Training, though. That was something else. Helping his friends and teammates accomplish their goals was a whole different kind of gratification, almost better than personal success. It was the difference between a torch and a bonfire, light versus warmth. Maybe that was what he'd been missing in Australia. Their swimmers were good, sure, but building a team took more than just raw skill.

"Senpai! Matsuoka-Senpai!" The mousey-haired boy looked ready to burst as he ran forward "Did you see!? I made the cut for regionals!"

“I know.” Rin smiled, tapping Ai’s name on his clipboard. “You’ve really improved, Ai.”

"It's all thanks to Yamazaki-Senpai, really..." Ai said with a small blush. "I've been getting so much better since he's been coaching me...but I still don't understand why he quit swimming..." The younger boy frowned. "He made it all the way to nationals in middle school, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Rin muttered, mirroring the boy’s frown. He never understood how Sousuke worked, even when they were kids. He’d been so passionate about swimming. They’d promised to lock down gold and silver at the Olympics, and Sousuke had been offered sponsors and scholarships, even in middle school. But one day, his letters stopped coming, Rin’s emails and phone calls went unanswered, and they fell out of contact for over a year. It was infuriating. After asking every single person he could think of, including his sister and his friend’s home room teacher, and finding nothing but rumors and speculation, only one thing was certain: Sousuke wasn’t swimming. Whatever happened, Rin came home to find a different boy from the one he’d known. The light, the spark that drove his ambition was gone, extinguished in a haze of depression. Sousuke had obviously gone through something terrible, but he’d left his best friend completely in the dark.

For a while, Rin wondered if it had something to do with him leaving, but if anything that should have driven his friend to try harder. Still, he’d never been the best at reading emotions, and he couldn’t bring himself to pry without good reason.

And…Ai was still talking—something about the relay and his training schedule, but Rin had only taken in a few words, and was grateful when he heard another second-year call Ai's name. The boy jumped, turning on the spot.

"Oh! Sorry, Senpai, I better go. Relay practice is starting."

"All right, remember to keep your breathing steady!" Rin called after him and sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he walked to the pool's edge, searching for a familiar stroke. It wasn’t difficult. Haru was on his last heat, shooting across the 50 meter pool with a natural grace no one could ever hope to emulate. Rin had raced against some of the best athletes in the world, but it was always different with Haru. The black-haired idiot was both friend and rival, and yeah, his lack of motivation could be frustrating, but he’d come round, eventually. "Eventually..." Rin sighed, tapping his pencil on the short listed names for the 400 meter freestyle.

The whistle blew, and Haru pulled himself out of the pool, reluctantly relinquishing the lane to the next group of swimmers. Pulling his goggles and cap off, he lifted his towel off the rack, and headed for the locker room. The freestyle heat was over, but he could still get a few hours in at the beach if he skipped the rest of practice. Besides, if Rin caught him, he'd just start on the usual lecture about trying different strokes and working on his versatility. But, Haru didn’t want to learn the other strokes, and he never had. He didn't really care about competitive swimming—he barely even cared about swim team, except for those rare occasions he got to race with Rin.

He made it as far as his locker.

"Haru!" Rin called out, reaching his friend’s locker just as it opened. He set the clipboard on the bench and frowned, watching Haru dry off and pull his clothing on. "You're leaving again...?"

Silence hung between them, broken by the hiss of a zipper. Haru shouldered his bag, and met Rin's eyes with a stare that was nothing short of indifferent. Rin faltered, swallowing his protest. How many times had they done this? There was no point in arguing. Haru was going, and Rin would just waste both their time if he pressed the point. With a soft sigh, he rubbing the bridge of his nose and stared blearily at the penciled roster, wishing he didn't have to be the one to choose. Who was he to weigh talent against ambition? "At least...let me go with you" He breathed, shoving the clipboard in his locker and pulling his own bag out from its depths. "I haven't swum at all today, and I could use the solo practice."

Haru blinked, waiting with the smallest smile as his friend got his things together. Rin shouldn't go. He was team captain, after all, and that came with responsibilities. Still, it would be nice to swim together without all the noise.

Makoto stretched, sprawling out on the rocks, basking in the late afternoon sun. It was a clear day, clouds drifting easily above like cotton jellyfish, brushed with approaching dusk. You could never really trust the sky, though. The winds were as fickle as the ocean currents, and the weather changed at their viscous whims. Makoto mistrusted it all, the sky, the waves, even the deep. His dreams churned with tall waves and unassailable currents. He could still hear the splintered crash as a small craft capsized, tossing his friends into the open sea while the current dragged him back, pulling at him away. It wasn’t fair. He should have been able to save them. The ocean was his home, his world, and yet it had betrayed him. The loss of control was terrifying—water ripping past his fins, tossing him into the darkness like a piece of debris. He saw them in his dreams, drifting on the seabed, ghostly faces calling his name, choking on it as their lungs collapsed, but he couldn’t help; he couldn’t move.

Makoto avoided the ocean floor. He avoided the surface. He wished he could avoid the ocean altogether, but he couldn’t leave his family, not when his phobia had forced them to defect from the colony.

With a huff, he rolled on his side, fin slapping lazily on the jetty. He could manage this much on clear days, but he hated swimming alone. Every little change in the currents set him on edge, making his gills pulse in spasms while his body curled in repressed terror.

The storms were worse; big or small, he spent them at home, curled under a soft mesh of woven grass. And through it all, even though he knew it was impossible…part of him still hoped to see those brilliant blue eyes just one more time. It wasn’t hard to imagine. After all, he'd never found them. Makoto closed his eyes, picturing that small crack in the boy’s impassive mask—the rare gem of Haru’s smile.

"This is a bit bold for you, isn't it?" Kisumi commented, flicking pink fins, and drawing up to the other man's ear. "They've spotted tourists near this island, you know, and I'd hate for you to be seen." He said, speaking the word 'tourist' with undisguised venom. The migrant humans were a constant threat, after all, though they lacked the immediate health risks of pollution and ocean traffic.

"I checked for tourists, Kisumi.” Makoto pointed out with a gentle smile. “and, they never come out this far in the afternoon.”

"It only takes one, darling." The pinkette said, plucking a strand of seaweed from Makoto’s tail, and tossing it back in the water.

"One human spouting tales about mermen?" Makoto sighed. “Who’d believe them?”

"Suit yourself." Kisumi shrugged. "It's your family down there. You might think humans are harmless, but do you want some disgusting mariner poking around your front yard? What if they catch one of your siblings? The twins wouldn't even be able to shift."

"...Fine." Makoto frowned, slidingback into the water with a faint splash. Well, that was that. Kisumi might be overly paranoid, but he did have a point. Makoto wasn’t afraid of humans, but he couldn’t put his family at risk. He wasn’t even sure his parents could change. Some adults could, but most lost their legs completely after mating.

"You'd be safe at the new colony." Kisumi said, folding his arms and resting them on warm rock. "There aren’t any humans there."

"I don’t mind the humans. They're interesting.”

"Whatever you say.” Kisumi pursed his lips. “It's still safer."

"Safety doesn't guarantee happiness." Makoto smiled softly. "Would you like to come to dinner? My mother’s making tuna."

"Sure... That would be nice." Kisumi frowned, biting back a desire to grab his best friend by the fins and shake him. What kind of happiness did he hope to find in this Neptune forsaken cove? It might have been home once, but the colony had moved on years ago. The few remaining families just couldn’t cope with upkeep and security, and the entire structure was crumbling into a neglected ruin.

“She rubs the fish with numbing grass and wraps them in kelp.” Makoto told his friend."It's really good.”

"Thanks. We should probably-"Kisumi swore, jumping away from the rock as a burst of water smacked him in the face. Makoto gave a sharp cry and disappeared with a flick of green scales, reappearing only after the water had settled. Kisumi shook his head, glaring daggers at the merman bobbing in the wake of the splash.

"Mako! Mako!” The blonde flitted forward, grabbing Makoto by the shoulders and spinning him like a top. “You'll never guess what happened! It's amazing!!" The petite male bounced with every word, brown eyes flashing with excitement.

Makoto blinked and chuckled. "What is it, Nagisa?"

"I was up at the surface with Rei, and I saw—" Nagisa grinned widely and shook his head, pulling Makoto under the surface as he set off toward the mainland. "No, it's a surprise! Come on!"

"Makoto's not going to meet your human trash." Kisumi looped around to block their progress, crossing his arms with a scowl.

"Don't talk about Rei like that!!"Nagisa puffed his cheeks, short hair floating around his face like a cherubic halo. With the look he was giving Kisumi, he looked more like an angry angel than a merman.

"How’s Rei doing anyway?" Makoto asked, hiding his nerves under a friendly smile. He agreed with Nagisa, of course, but he’d still like to avoid their usual argument.

"Besides, that's not what I want him to see, and you can stay here, you poisonous codfi—Oh, he's fine.” Nagisa answered, changing tone with the speed of light.“Great, really. He's top of his class and he set a new record with the high jump last month. He still sinks like a hammer, though; that's our big problem."

"Why don't you bring him to the island?" Makoto suggested. “I’m a pretty good teacher.”

"Sure!" Nagisa beamed cheerfully, darting around Kisumi with an unnecessary twist that left the purist bastard spinning. "We better hurry, though! I'm not sure how long they'll be there!"

"Right." Makoto glanced at his childhood friend, giving him an apologetic grimace. “I’ll be back soon?”

"Fine…" Kisumi grumbled and steadied himself before turning back toward Makoto’s cove. "I'll be waiting at your house, Makoto! Be careful!"


	2. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old love is found and lost. Also fish gender roles are discussed.

Haru inhaled deeply, savoring the taste of salt and brine. His fingers were wrinkled, his limbs pleasantly heavy with exertion after a solid hour of fighting the surf. He wasn’t at his limit yet, but it was close. Floating on his back, he finally gave up, letting the current drag him south. The waves were calm and gentle, pushing him forward, and pulling him back with a familiar rhythm, comforting and warm as a mother’s caress. This craggy beach, with all its jagged rocks and jetties, felt more like home than anywhere on land. Nostalgia hummed in his veins, promising hidden caves and underwater passages, vague memories flitting through his thoughts like shadows on the receding tide.

Early memories were always a problem. It wasn’t amnesia, but the hospital said it probably had something to do with the storm. That one day, immovably pinned to his personal history, overpowered everything, blotting out the past like spilled ink. He remembered some things—his parents, their warm smiles conflicting with the chill of their absence—his third-grade field trip, where he’d fallen (climbed) into the dolphin tank, and the frantic shouting that followed. He remembered the blur of idle days, hiding from the world and ignoring the phone because no one really cared if he went to school or not.

Still, being alone in an empty house was almost as bad as being alone in school, so he found other places to hide, places with no phone, no lies, and no broken promises. At the beach, he could blend with the summer tourists or hide out on the rocks, cut off from the pressure of society. That was the plan, but when you hide in a crowd, there’s always a chance you’ll be found.

That was how he met the boy—the boy with soft green eyes, who found him on the rocks and asked for one of his driftwood carvings. Haru remembered the warmth in those eyes as he pressed the whittled body of a dolphin into a tanned palm, the way his heart pounded as he waited for the wood to snap, for that kind expression to twist with childish malice. But the boy didn’t laugh or call him names. He let Haru lead the conversation, accepting the silence for what it was, and answering his questions with a tranquil smile. Neither of them went to school, so they played together almost every day, talking and swimming and exploring the grottos and caves. The boy understood him the way no one else had, and with his encouragement, Haru found himself willing to try. He went back to school, and eventually things got easier—especially after he joined the swim club.

Haru’s brow creased as he stared up at the darkening sky, desperately trying to picture the boy’s face—remember his name—anything. Sometimes he wondered if it was all in his head, the product of a lonely boy’s imagination. But the boy had to be real. Rin saw him, too—just once, right before the storm—but he definitely saw him, and now…

A pang of sadness tugged at Haru’s chest and he flipped over, sinking in the water. The image from his dream drifted into focus, and he heard the voice echo as it called his name. After the hospital released him, Haru waited by the beach every day, but the boy was gone. Haru never saw him again because…he was probably dead. Haru felt a chill run down his spine, his entire body suddenly cold and heavy. Haru’s feet hit the sand, and he stood with his head down, nose just above the water.

"Haru!” Rin called from the shallows, holding his arms above the water and pointing at his wrist. Stupid. He wasn’t even wearing a watch. “Hey, Haru!”

"Haruka-senpai!" A second voice called, and Haru turned, squinting at the clothed figure waving from the shore. The purple-black hair was unmistakable, but what was Ryuugazaki doing here? He knew the track star liked to watch them swim, but it was hard to believe he’d come this far just for that, especially since he had track after school.

“Come on, fish for brains! We’ve got to go!" Rin shouted.

Haru sank defiantly in the water, letting the waves ripple over his cheeks as he turned to see the sun dipping just below the horizon...It _was_ getting late. He’d been out past curfew before, but he didn’t want to get Rin in trouble. With a disgruntled sigh, the third-year lifted his feet and swam inland.

“See…?” Nagisa whispered, giving the larger merman’s arm a light tug. “I hope I'm not wrong—I only saw him a few times, and it's been so long, but…that’s him right?"

Makoto stared, a coil of numb warmth clenching deep in his stomach as he watched the pair exit the water. They paused to greet a third boy, before gathering their things and walking up the beach. The merman’s green eyes followed every step, watching the red-haired boy land a punch on Haru’s shoulder. _Haru…_

“He’s alive…” The words fell from numb lips, almost soundless. There was no mistaking that lithe grace, that powerful stroke. Makoto brought a hand to his mouth, tears welling in his eyes as he leaned back against the rock. “They’re _alive_ —Nagisa!”

Large arms pulled the petite blonde into a hug, and Nagisa laughed, ruffling his friend’s hair. "I know.” He pulled away, giving Makoto a gentle pat on the cheek. “What do you want to do? Rei says he’s here almost every day, but the water’s too shallow for us to swim without being seen. Do you want to talk to him?"

“Sh-should I?” Makoto wiped his eyes, studying the beach with obvious hesitation. "I could probably catch him on the beach, but…what if he doesn’t remember me? What if he doesn’t—" His throat closed, choking back a whole slew of insecurities. The knot in his stomach screamed at the thought of being rejected. He couldn’t hide his fins for long, and not all humans were as accepting as Rei. What if Haru pushed him away—or worse, what if he didn’t? Makoto felt his face burn as he contemplated the possible ramifications, and he sank into the water, burying his face in his hands.

“I don’t know…” Nagisa mused. “Haruka doesn’t linger on the shore, so your timing would have to be perfect, and you couldn’t follow him in without giving yourself away. I was thinking…” He paused, watching a group of minnows glide over his tail, grooming the gold scales. “If you want…we could go ashore. Like, _really_ ashore. I’ve been meaning to for ages, but I’d feel safer if there were two of us.”

“Ashore…” Makoto repeated. “Like…off the beach?”

“Yeah.” Nagisa twisted his fingers together, staring down at them as he spoke. “Rei’s school is pretty close, and I really want to see it. He talks about his lessons all the time and…it really makes me wonder what the hell we’re even doing at the colony. Rei’s up here learning how the universe works while I’m stuck in freaking batch prep. I just…I need to get out. Besides, I’m pretty sure you’ll have better luck confronting Haru away from the water."

“R-right…” Makoto’s shoulders curved, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to picture himself standing with Haru, walking his side, and…doing whatever humans did outside the water. He’d hardly used his legs since reaching puberty. Would he even be able to walk? Would he be tall enough…?

"It’ll be _fine_. Humans aren’t that scary. I worked at one of those beach shops last summer, and everybody was really nice.”

The larger male frowned, his brow creasing as he weighed the risks. He already knew what Kisumi would say, but his parents would probably let him go if he asked...“Rei’s really okay with you—with everything?”

"Well…I haven’t told him _everything_.” Nagisa scratched his nose, “But he knows I have a tail. That was pretty much how we met, actually. He came to watch your friend swim, and I was so tired, I didn’t realize he was there. I was knee deep in the shallows before I saw him, and by then it was too late. I was terrified, but..." Nagisa blushed as his words tapered into silence.

Makoto stifled a laugh. “Maybe I should ask Rei for tips.”

"Ha-ha.” The blonde echoed dryly. “So, are we going, or—wait, are you planning to court him?”

“I-I don’t know…” He blushed. “Maybe…”

“Okay…” Nagisa pursed his lips, giving his friend a quizzical look. "I know it’s none of my business, but what are you going to do about the grumpy suitor waiting at your house?"

Makoto frowned, eyebrows furrowed. “Suitor…?”

"Oh—for the love of Poseidon— _Kisumi_ , you idiot!" Nagisa gave the other male an incredulous glance. "He's been courting you for years. Don't tell me you didn't know. "

"What? No, we're just friends." Makoto crossed his arms, leaning against the rocks. “He’s not courting me.”

"Mako, really? Those pearls he got you for your birthday last year? You know what those mean, right? What they symbolize?"

"Um...no?"

"Fish guts!!” Nagisa smacked his face with his palm. “—f _ertility_ , Mako, pearls signify _fertility_. That was practically a proposal. We spent a whole week on fertility pearls in class, and your parents didn’t even tell you?"

"You know how they feel about colony rules and customs…" He said with a defensive shrug, then frowned, thinking back on his last few encounters with Kisumi. "…He really wants to be my mate?"

"Yeah...” The blonde sighed, picking at a barnacle as he spoke. “He does. You should hear the way he talks about you at the colony...I'm sorry, I thought it was mutual..."

Makoto bit his lip, staring absently at the distant towers of Samezuka Academy. Was it true…? He thought back, combing through the time he’d spent with Kisumi—which was quite a lot, considering he never visited the colony. It made sense—and it would explain the possessive behavior, gifts, and complete disregard for personal boundaries. Makoto’s parents were quite thorough with his education, but he doubted his mother gave a damn about colony courtship rituals. And Kisumi—what the hell was he thinking? They’d been friends for as long as he could remember—he should have known something was wrong.

“It wasn’t…and if Kisumi’s says otherwise, he’s deluding himself.” Makoto said, and felt a rare burst of anger flare in his chest. “He’s my best friend and he ought to know better.”

He pushed off the rock, diving back under the water and swimming west toward his family’s grotto. Nagisa followed, skirting to his friend’s left as the water cleared.

"Look, be careful what you say, okay?” He said, keeping pace as they skimmed the sloping bank. “I'm already kind of an outcast because of Rei, and Kisumi’s pretty popular with the conservative shoal. If he thinks I tricked you, or talked you into ditching him…they might drive me out, and if that happens, I'll never see my mother again."

Makoto’s jaw tightened and he slowed his pace, biting back his concern. They’d had this conversation many times, and it never ended on a pleasant note. Nagisa’s mother was one of five purely dioecious mermaids in the colony, which made her a valued commodity among the conservative male population. This status offered rights and privileges denied to other egg-layers, but it also made it impossible for her to defect from the colony. If Nagisa had to leave, he’d be leaving alone. "I won't say anything, but he’ll probably guess you told me..."

"I know… Just be careful, okay?"

"I will..." He gave the other merman a reassuring smile, slowing as they approached the trough separating the bank from the colony’s ridge. “I’ll try to keep you out of it.”

"Thanks…" Nagisa returned the smile, but it seemed stiff and almost tentative, quite a change from his usual grin. "It's been... weird since I started dating Rei. People at the colony―planters, mostly―think it makes me breeder trash, like anyone with a tail has the right to my eggs. They’re not even bothering with ritual or consent. They just follow me around, waiting to catch me with a batch. I’m…I’m scared, Mako…I don’t want to leave my mom, but I need a break. I need to get out."

The brunette frowned, coming to a stop as the incline leveled out beneath them. “How long do you have?”

Nagisa shrugged, fixing his eyes on the darkness below them. No matter how close they were, Makoto was still a male breeder—inseminator, to use the proper term, or "planter" to use one of many colloquialisms. To an unmated ovipara, there was nothing more delicate than nesting location and the timing of their cycle. In the wrong hands, that information could be devastating. That was the first thing you learned in batch prep, and there were more than enough horror stories about unsolicited fertilization and black market match-making to make the lesson stick. Especially since both crimes resulted in an involuntary bond that was difficult to regulate and nearly impossible to break—at least without resorting to murder or suicide. To add insult to injury, infractions were usually settled with monetary damages, awarded to the victim's father as payment for stolen property. It was quite literally the worst thing that could ever happen. Most egg-layers hid their batch from everyone, including their family, but if Nagisa could trust anyone, it would be Makoto. Biting his lip, he watched a school of sea bass pass above them, silver scales gleaming in the dim light. “I don’t know... a few months?”

“Okay…” The larger male nodded, hoping that would be enough time to coax Rei into the water. “Let me talk things out with Kisumi, and I’ll meet you at the beach tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks, Mako. I owe you one.” Nagisa said, and this time the accompanying smile seemed almost genuine.

"Sorry I'm late..." Makoto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he took a plate of tuna rolls from Kisumi.

"That’s okay, sweetie.” Mrs. Tachibana gave her son a welcoming smile. “Let me know if you need more kelp—Rin, sweetie, pass your brother the hijiki."

“Thanks…”Makoto extracted several wriggling fish and piled them on his plate. “Hey, Kisumi…? Can I talk to you after dinner?”

“Sure.” Kisumi said through a mouthful of tuna. He swallowed and licked the remnants of sauce from his fingers. It was a mixture of sea anemone and spices, neither of which were easy to come by in the colony. Cooking in general proved to be a challenge when you lived so close to the midnight zone. Between the ever expanding borders of human civilization and the murky filth they left in the water, there were increasingly few places to hide an entire population of mer-people. The colony moved deeper every year, and it was starting to affect their physical appearance. Even Kisumi, who spent plenty of time visiting the bright zone, had threads of bio-luminescence edging his fins. This was, of course, a viable adaptation for the colony’s environment, but the changes made foraging near the surface practically impossible. “Man I miss surface food…If I see another snailfish, I’m going to hurl."

 _Maybe_ you _should move back._ The taunt hung on Makoto’s tongue, unspoken and bitter. He’d make that jibe a thousand times, but suddenly…it didn’t sound like a joke. As they ate, Kisumi laughed easily, joking with the twins, and offering intelligent comments about his father's weaving business. He was already part of the family; he had been, for years. It was all too easy to imaging the shorter male staying, living with the family, and helping with repairs, but… Makoto bit his lip. It wasn’t the same. Kisumi might be family, but he wasn’t a mate.

"Makoto, is everything alright?" his father asked, seeing his son's untouched tuna. "Your fish is about to escape."

"I'm just....distracted." Makoto said softly. "I'm sorry."

"What the heck did Hazuki show you?" Kisumi's eyebrows knit together. Makoto's tuna finally shook off its kelp wrapper and swam for freedom. Kisumi caught it, holding the thrashing fish in his hands as he spoke. "You were gone for almost an hour."

"Nothing…He just wanted to talk.” Makoto took the tuna from Kisumi and wrapped it into the kelp again, before beginning to eat reluctantly. “He’s having a hard time at the colony since he started seeing Rei."

"I heard..." Mrs. Tachibana commented with her lips curved in a gentle frown. “Has he changed his mind about staying with us? I’m sure the colony is fine for you, Kisumi, but it’s no place for an unmated ovipara. You’d think with the decline in fertility, egg-layers would be valued more highly, but most of them are treated like property. I’m really worried about poor Nagisa…I don’t care how popular his mother is, there are only so many places you can hide a batch, and you can’t destroy fertile eggs without charges of infanticide.”

"You know he hasn’t..." Makoto told them. “He doesn’t want to leave his family, at least not until things settle with Rei.”

Kisumi looked away, suddenly finding his own food less appetizing. “I... I don't agree with the way they’re treating him, but I can kind of understand the sentiment. I mean, he looks almost exactly like his mother, and she’s the most desirable breeder in the colony. Hazuki had seven high ranking males vying for his hand when he started seeing that human. It was a slap in the face to all of them."

"He has a right to be with who he wants to be with. Or find someone he thinks will give him the love he deserves. Everyone deserves that." Makoto said.

Makoto's father gave their guest a tolerant smile. "Social ties become extremely complicated in the colony, particularly when mating is involved...That's part of the reason we left. I don't want Makoto or the twins dealing with that kind of pressure."

“We’re going to the surface tomorrow.” Makoto’s words effectively froze the conversation. “He wants to get away from the colony for a bit, and I offered to go with him so he isn’t alone.”

After a full minute of silence, Mrs. Tachibana set her napkin on the table and leaned back, giving her husband a searching look. “Well…I suppose…I certainly wouldn’t want him going alone, but are you sure? You know the humans aren’t as—”

“You’re not going to LET him!?” Kisumi slammed his palms on the table, his eyes wide with indignant outrage. “Are you!? Tell me you’re not!”

Mrs. Tachibana raised an eyebrow, regarding her son’s friend with unconcealed disdain. Makoto felt an outpouring of affection for her as he kept his eyes trained on the half-eaten fish on his plate.

“My son is free to go where he chooses when he chooses.” She said, taking Kisumi’s plate and serving him another portion of hijiki. “Spending time on land was a rite of passage in the Pacific Colony, and I wouldn’t dream of depriving my son of a chance to learn about human culture. Honestly, I wouldn’t have met Makoto’s father if I hadn’t taken that chance, and it’s the only reason we still live in the Japan Sea.”

“It’s dangerous!! What if someone throws water at him or he gets caught in the rain!?”

“I’m sure my son has considered that risk. It’s not our place to stop him from finding his place in the world.”

“His place is HERE!!” Kisumi’s voice cracked as he held a palm up over his chest, his expression twisting in something that could almost be physical pain.

Mrs. Tachibana blinked at the unexpected outburst, looking between the two teenagers with dawning comprehension.

Makoto pushed his plate away, and took Kisumi by the arm. “Let’s go upstairs.”

“Mako-nii’s leaving?” Ren asked her mother as the her brother dragged his friend out of the dining alcove.

“Just for a little while sweetie.” Mrs. Tachibana’s voice was barely audible as they swam up a narrow tunnel that led to the living quarters.

A maze of tunnels and chambers cut through the old colony, each section marked and purposed for a population that would never return. Once a thriving hub of mer-society, the abandoned complex was entirely too large for the few families it still housed. Sea grass and other inedible flora were beginning to grow in the passages, and it was only a matter of time before the structure began to crumble. Makoto did his part to clean and fortify the failing structures, but he knew they’d have to move eventually. The only problem would be convincing his father, because his mother had no intention of moving to the colony. When they moved, he knew his mother would settle for nothing less than the Pacific.

Makoto pulled the barnacle covered door outward, pulling Kisumi through the resulting cloud of dust and microscopic organisms. It closed with a soft current of water, and Kisumi pulled his arm free, shaking it as he looked around the familiar room. A collection of sea sponge and soft grass formed a makeshift bed in the far corner, while racks of sea-scrolls and various human artifacts lined the walls. And, of course, there was the photograph. It was discolored and faded, but he could still see Makoto swimming with the strange boy.

Kisumi hated that picture—hated what it implied. There was no way to process film like this in the ocean, so the boy had to be human, which meant Makoto had allowed himself to be photographed. In the colony, that would have warranted an arrest at the very least, but judging by Makoto’s age, the picture was probably taken just after the relocation. After all, that was the only time they’d been apart. He’d asked about the photo numerous times, but his friend absolutely refused to talk about it. He didn’t like that strangeness, the knowledge that Makoto had memories and experiences they didn’t share.

“Kisumi…” Makoto locked the door and turned to face his friend.

The wary look on his face said it all. Kisumi gave a wry laugh, pulling a small box from one of the stone shelves. "You didn't know, did you?" Flipping the lid open, he sighed. The white orbs were exactly as he’d left them, resting in a neat circle over a bed of softest sponge. "I thought your reaction seemed a little strange, and you never wore them, but I was so..." He closed the box. "I was deluding myself."

"I'm sorry. You know how mom is about that stuff. Thinking back, it was a little weird that you got me jewelry, but I assumed it was just some coming of age thing.” Makoto frowned. “I wasn't leading you on. And besides, Nagi—I mean, aren’t you supposed to give these to an ovipara? You know I don't lay eggs."

“I-I know, but…” Kisumi frowned, fidgeting with the clasp as he tried to bring himself to say the words. He could tell Makoto. He could, but…the rejection was bad enough without the added humiliation. Glaring at the vapid human boy and the obvious joy in Makoto’s expression, Kisumi’s mouth twitched, and he swallowed. “I-I can’t help the way I feel.”

"I’m sorry, Kisumi. I can’t..." Makoto frowned and turned to him. “I’m…”

“So many secrets…” The pinkette sighed and set the box back on the shelf. “What happened to us, Mako? It feels like we’re miles apart, and I hate that. I hate not being near you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not keeping secrets.” Makoto said with a long sigh. “You’re my best friend in the world, Kisumi, but what you’re asking for…that’s not friendship.”

“No. No, it’s not, and it never has been. I’ve wanted you since I was six, Mako.”

Makoto met his friend’s eyes. “Don’t…don’t you want kids?”

Kisumi’s brow furrowed, his frown dipping lower. “No.”

“I do, but that’s not really the point.” He said, trying not to feel cowed by the fierce look in the other boy’s eyes. “Kisumi, I’m sorry. I really am, but I just don’t… We’re friends. You’re practically family. Isn’t that enough?”

Kisumi sighed and pulled away. "No…it’s not, but I won't try to force you. I just...I need some time." He gave the other merman a wistful stare, and turned toward the door. "Keep the pearls. They're hard to get, and I don't want you swimming around the trenches by yourself. Give them to someone you really want."

"...Kisumi..." Makoto frowned and reached out to him.

Kisumi looked back, fingers resting on the door frame. "Give me time Mako. We're still friends. I just need to...you know…" He gave a vague shrug and then he was gone.

Makoto felt a stabbing pain in his heart as he shrank back onto his bed, hugging a chunk of sponge to his chest as his eyes grew red with unseen tears. Growing up surrounded by family, he'd always pictured himself continuing that life with a spouse and children of his own. The idea of turning his back on that future to court someone he'd always considered a brother was absolutely alarming. Even so, part of him longed to go after his friend, to stem his pain and offer him whatever he needed to be whole. But that would be a lie...and living that lie would only make them both miserable. He didn't know what to do, or how to react. There was an open rift forming between them, and every inch of that distance stung like physical pain.

"Makoto?" The soft voice, followed by a knock at his open door announced his mother's presence. "Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry."

She swam to his bed and swept him up unto her arms without asking for an explanation. Makoto held her tight for the first time in years, tears mixing with the salt water as he sobbed against her shoulder. It wasn't quite as bad as losing Haru. After all, Kisumi was alive and whole, but this estrangement was an entirely different kind of pain. Kisumi had carved a place in his heart, a place he shared with his family, Nagisa, and few others, but it was a large enough part of his being. Now, somehow that wasn't enough... Kisumi wanted more, and he had nothing left to offer.

"Shhh...It's okay, sweetie. I've talked things over with your father, and he's going to see you off tomorrow. I doubt he'll be able to go with you, but your uncle has a house up in Iwatobi, and he'll be able to help you get settled." She said, and smoothed his hair before planting a kiss on his forehead. "Honestly...the change will do you good, and I'm sure with time, the dust will settle."

"Thanks, mom..." Makoto gave a weak smile and squeezed her shoulders. For a moment, he considered telling her about Haruka, but it still felt like betraying Kisumi to even mention him, let alone bring up the unlikely possibility of a courtship. No...he'd have to tread carefully. His bond with Haru, assuming it still existed, wasn't the same as his friendship with Kisumi. True, he'd never seen the blue-eyed human as a brother, but now he was even less certain the feelings had ever been mutual. Even if they had been, after so long apart, that bond would be extremely fragile. One wrong move, and he might lose his friendship forever. Makoto pictured himself in Kisumi's place, professing his one sided confessions as Haru looked on in perplexed horror. No, unrequited love was definitely preferable to being outright rejected.

His mother said a few more encouraging words, gave him a list of things to pack for the morning, and left him alone with his thoughts once more. All things considered, it was hard to believe that in a matter of hours, he'd be shedding his fins for the first real landing of his adolescence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. This took sooooo long to compile and edit. And it's like...barely proofread. So I apologize again. I've got some translation work right now, so I wouldn't expect a new chapter soon. 
> 
> Also, our writing kind of hit a huuuge snag when Nagisa and Makoto got to shore. Like, the fact that they had no human clothing and Rei had to like...bum uniforms off the Mikoshiba bros. and sneak them into his dorm, which was a total mess and would probably get Rei expelled, so I'm going to have to veer off course from our RP to fix some of that. Hence Makoto's uncle, and if you haven't guessed yet: yes, Makoto's dad used to be human. (At least in my compiled version, because our RPs tend to be pretty minimalist.) 
> 
> I'm thinking of going the transfer student route? Suggestions?


	3. Future Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suspiciously devoid of fish. This chapter is largely focused on Sousuke/Rin.

They didn't get in trouble. The dorm manager wasn't even back from kendo practice, and Haru wished he could have stayed in the water a bit longer.

"Oh, hey Nanase." Sousuke said, peeking over the edge of his biology book as his roommate walked in. "Sorry, I went ahead and filled the bath. Do you mind if I go first? I have an exam in the morning."

Haru shrugged, setting his school bag on the bottom bunk and pulling out a few water damaged texts. He probably had an exam, too, which meant he'd have to set a timer.

"Rin wants you to eat dinner with us..." He said, dividing his books and arranging his homework for later in the evening.

A rhythmic beep sounded from the bathroom and Sousuke sighed. "I'll head down after I finish. Get me the B set, will you?"

"Okay." Haru fished his wallet from his bag and pushed the door open. Rin was waiting just down the hall, cornered again by a very persistent underclassman.

"Senpai, where were you?" Ai’s voice filled the hall as he confronted the older boy, his expression fluctuating between irritation and concern. "You disappeared in the middle of practice―we were really worried!"

"I had to take care of something. Don't worry about it." Spotting Haru, he raised a hand in greeting, then turned back to the underclassman and gestured towards the cafeteria. "If you haven't eaten, come join us for dinner."

Haru tucked his wallet in his back pocket and drew up behind Ai.

"Is Sousuke coming?" Rin asked Haru.

"Probably."

"He wants the B set, right?"

Haru nodded.

"The menu looks really good today!" Ai said enthusiastically, stringing together a new tangent of cheerful conversation. Haru didn’t mind the noise. It was mostly mindless chatter, so he didn’t really have to pay attention to answer the younger boy’s polite questions. The B set did look good...Especially since the cafeteria rarely served mackerel. He pictured the cafeteria staff, trying to decide who he could bribe for extra fish.

"Hey, Haru?" Rin stood next to him and smiled a small smile. "How fast are you now?"

"What? Oh... I don't know." He honestly couldn't remember the last time he checked the team record. He'd won races, sure, but he never really bothered with exact times.

"I finally got to 1:18 in breast, but I'm still having trouble with my other strokes." Ai said with a frown. He continued to chat as they made their way through the lunch line, and Haru passed the elderly woman a few extra coins, emerging with several mackerel filets, and a cup of hot tea.

Choosing an empty table by the window, Haru set Sousuke’s tray down and sat across from it. He wasn’t sure how long his roommate would be. They both had erratic bath schedules, but they usually managed to accommodate or at least tolerate each other’s habits.

"Did you finish filling out your career sheet yet, Haru?" Rin cut through Ai’s remarks as he sat down next to Sousuke’s empty chair.

"....No." He took a bite of fish, averting his eyes.

"Really? It’s been like two weeks! What’s taking…?” Rin began questioningly, but trailed off as he spotted Sousuke at the door. He stood up and waved, calling him over to their table. Spotting them, the brunette picked his way through the close packed tables.

"Thanks." Sousuke took the empty seat and pulled his tray closer. “How’d you two do on the history exam?”

"Aced it.” The red-head said, waving a piece of fish in a celebratory flourish. “You?”

The taller boy shrugged, rearranging the plates on his tray. “Probably did okay."

"We don't have ours until tomorrow..." Ai sighed, effectively preventing the topic from moving in Haru’s direction, for which he was grateful. Rin cared an awful lot about grades, and Haru’s marks were never up to scratch. He couldn’t care less about his school reports, but he tried to put in enough effort to keep the teachers (and Rin) off his back.

"You're gonna get at least a 70, right?"Rin asked, narrowing his eyes at his younger teammate.

"Maybe..." The smaller boy laughed nervously before shifting quickly to a new subject. " Hey, is it true you've been scouted, Rin? Everyone's been talking about it. They're placing bets on which offer you'll get first."

"Yeah." Rin replied to him with a sigh. "I got a few domestic scholarships, and a university in Sydney pretty much offered me a full ride, but…"

Sousuke coughed and took a large sip of water.

"Sydney..." Haru muttered to his fish.

"I haven’t given them an answer yet, but...” Rin said with a tentative glance at Sousuke. “I’d almost rather go to a domestic school. After all, I spent so much time away from everybody, already."

“Don’t be stupid.” Sousuke picked up his chopsticks and ate with slightly less gusto. "That’s such a good opportunity, especially if you’re aiming for the Olympics. Don’t throw your future away for a few extra years with your friends."

A small crease appeared on Rin’s brow as he stared down at his tea, knuckles white against the ceramic mug.

“H-Have you gotten any offers, Nanase-senpai?” Ai asked, desperately trying to redirect the impending argument.

"....." Haru polished off his fish and started on his miso. "It doesn't matter."

“It doesn’t matter?” Sousuke set his chopsticks down with a loud clack. "It doesn’t _matter_ _!?_ What’s wrong with you, Nanase? Why are you even here? If you just want to swim laps, buy a fucking pool pass!"

Haru stared resolutely at his soup, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Without another word, he swallowed the rest and stood up with his tray.

"H-Haru! Wait!" Rin stood and reached out for him, but it was too late. Even out of the water he was fast. Rin sighed and sat back down, glaring at Sousuke with mild disapproval. That familiar question sat between them, hanging on the tip of his tongue. Sousuke hadn’t wanted to give up swimming—that much was painfully clear. He supported Rin’s ambitions with an enthusiasm that was almost overzealous, coaching him with a Spartan regimen of weight training and cardio. While Rin appreciated his friend’s support, he worried Sousuke might be neglecting his own future. There was definitely an underlying tension in their friendship that hadn’t been there before, but Rin was afraid to ask the questions that needed to be answered. He couldn’t question his friend’s support, or cast doubt on his motives, but at the moment their relationship felt painfully one-sided. Sousuke was in pain, and Haru’s blasé attitude was just salt on his wounds.

"I know he's your friend, but you can't stay here for him—or me." Sousuke said."Don't let him hold you back."

"Hold him back...?” Ai said, looking thoroughly confused. “But…Nanase-senpai is one of our best swimmers?"

"Drop it, Ai." Rin warned, then continued eating.

"…He’s good. I’ll give you that.” Sousuke took a deep breath and picked up his soup. “I know for a fact he's had at least three offers, including the same Australian school that asked for you.”

Rin almost choked on his tea. “You read his file!?” Samezuka had a strict policy on extracurricular activities and since Sousuke wasn’t on an athletic team, he was stuck working with the student council, but even then…reading student files was a serious violation of school policy.

“No, stupid, I overheard the principal talking with the recruiters. They were practically gushing about you two, but he doesn’t care. Do you really think he has the drive to swim professionally?"

Rin shrugged. "That’s something he’s got to figure out for himself, but I’m not going to let him quit on a whim."

"W-What are you going to do, Yamazaki-senpai?" Ai asked tentatively, and Rin blinked, having completely forgotten the underclassman.

Sousuke laughed, bitterly. “Point taken.”

“Sousuke…” Rin caught a rare flash of pain cross his friend’s face, and his stomach churned with trepidation and regret.

Sousuke recovered quickly, hitching a smile on his face as he began stacking his empty plates on the tray. "I applied to study sports medicine, but I think my parents have other plans. Either way, I doubt I’ll be here after graduation. I just…I want you to succeed, Rin."

_For both of us._ The unspoken continuation echoed in Rin’s mind as Sousuke finished stacking their trays and carried them over to the collection window.

Ai was unusually quiet as they walked back to the dorm, walking in silence behind the two older boys with his eyes fixed on his trainers. As they reached the dormitory stairs, his mouth finally opened.

"Yamazaki-senpai...?" The boy prompted with a tentative quaver, steeling himself as the older student turned to face him. "I-I know it's kind of personal, but I...I really don’t understand why you stopped swimming…”

Sousuke froze mid-step, and Rin turned to stare at his younger teammate, shocked that he had the gall to ask that question now. The boy was either dense as a brick, or much braver than Rin gave him credit for.

“You're so passionate.” He continued, fiddling with the zipper of his jersey as he spoke. “I don’t understand why you would just…quit."

“I didn’t quit.” Sousuke’s fingers tightened on the railing. “I retired."

"You―"

"Retired. As in physically unable to continue. No matter how good I was, or how much I wanted it, I couldn’t hope to swim professionally."

Ai's eyes widened. "Oh...I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't mean―"

"It's fine." Sousuke said, and the tension seemed to drain from his shoulders as he continued up the stairs. "You didn't know, and you deserve the truth. Not everyone can make it. No matter how much work you put in or how successful you are, you can lose it all in the blink of an eye."

Rin stood there for a moment, frozen as his best friend reached the second floor landing and disappeared through the stairwell door. It couldn’t be that easy. After years of silence, how could he just…

“Wh-what..?” Ai squeaked, quailing under his captain’s incredulous glare.

The older boy shook his head, and turned, sprinting up the last few stairs.

“Sousuke!” The hallway door cracked against the wall. He was there, standing just outside his room with his key in the lock. Rin wasn’t sure what he wanted to say or how he wanted to say it, but his body was moving three steps ahead of his brain, and his fingers were already closing around the taller boy’s wrist, jerking the keys from the lock. They fell, jangling merrily as they hit the hallway floor.

Sousuke turned, heavy-lidded eyes focusing on the red-head with a look of mild surprise. Rin flushed and pulled away, balling his hands into fists as he stared at a spot six feet to the left of Sousuke’s knee.

“Rin…?” The taller boy tilted his head to the side, studying his friend’s expression with increased confusion.

“ _Retired?_ ” The word rolled off Rin’s tongue like lead, heavy and cold with indignant fury. They’d been tiptoeing around this issue for two years, and now Sousuke just answers in passing—like it was nothing—and to Ai of all people!? “What the hell, Sousuke—are we even friends?!”

“You lost me.” Sousuke frowned. “Is this still about graduation?”

“No!” Rin snapped, caught between anger and incredulity. “How can you even—” The words caught in his throat, and he compensated by shoving the taller boy back into the door. He swore, pinning his friend against the cold metal. “You never told me! You’re my best friend and you didn’t say a word! Do you know what that’s like—how much I worry about you!?” Rin shouted, gripping the white cotton of Sousuke’s T-shirt as his cap finally blew. He shouldn’t…he really shouldn’t. The entire hallway was peeking out of their doors, and Ai was standing at the end of the hallway with a stunned look on his face, but he couldn’t stop. The words came anyway.

“I don’t want training advice, Sousuke, I want you to talk to me! I want you to confide in me! I want you to let me worry about you the same way you worry about me!” Rin leaned into Sousuke’s shirt, staring at the sports logo as he felt his eyes start to water. “I want to know why you never answered my letters, and why you never said a word about quitting after I got back. You can’t just mention your ‘retirement’ in passing like it’s nothing, when I know how much it must have hurt you—how much it would hurt me!”

“Rin…” Sousuke’s hands slid around his back, pulling him close in a gentle embrace. Someone wolf-whistled and a few cameras clicked. Sousuke ignored them, lifting Rin’s chin and wiping a tear from his cheek. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. It wasn’t fair, but I didn’t want you to worry.”

Rin pulled back and punched the idiot’s shoulder, his face flushed with color as he tried to process his reaction to the close contact. It wasn’t a strange gesture. They’d always had a physical friendship when they were younger, but come to think of it…he couldn’t remember Sousuke so much as ruffling his hair since he’d left for Australia. “Like I wouldn’t worry, you asshole.”

Sousuke smiled. “You hid it pretty well. I caught you watching me a few times, but I thought—”

“Are either of you coming inside?” The door to Sousuke’s dormitory stood open, and Haruka was dripping all over the floor, his swim trunks just visible under an over-sized bath towel. Studying the pair in the hallway, his eyebrows raised ever so slightly in confusion. “You’re being really loud.”

Rin’s face lit up like a bonfire as he finally looked away from Sousuke. A few doors clicked shut, but there were still at least ten people staring. With a few choice English slurs, he caught Sousuke’s arm and pulled him down the hall to his own room.

“Rin, my key—”

“Haru will get it.” The red-head snapped, pulling his own key from his pocket but that proved unnecessary as the door was already partially open. Pushing it wider, revealed Rei, sitting at a his desk with his Japanese textbook covering his face. It was upside down. “Get out. I need privacy.”

Rei dropped the book and scrambled for the door, cheeks flushed and eyes glued to the floor.

“Hey.” Rin snatched his cell phone off the bed and tossed it as he turned. Rei fumbled for it, and missed, chasing the phone as it clattered. “I’ll text you when we’re done talking.”

“S-Sure, Matsuoka-senpai.” The blushing underclassman muttered and raced out the door.

“That wasn’t very nice—and I think your door is broken.” Sousuke noted, pulling the heavy door open and shut a few times before examining the latch.

“The strike is misaligned. It’s always been that way, and the dormitory people refuse to fix it properly. Just shoot the deadbolt for now.” Rin explained, gathering a stack of scattered notes off his bed and stacking them neatly on his desk. It wasn’t necessary. He knew Sousuke wouldn’t care about the clutter, but he had to do something, anything menial to keep his mind busy—away from the heat of Sousuke’s body, the comfortable way his arms fit perfectly around Rin’s shoulders. “As for Rei, it wasn’t nice, but he does it all the time when he needs a cramming session, so I don’t care.” Besides, the idiot’s flamboyant lifestyle was starting to rub off on him.

Rin glanced over at Sousuke, following the movement of his muscles as he twisted the lock. As he watched, a curious thought occurred to him. For someone who’d given up training due to a physical injury or disability, Sousuke was still remarkably well toned. It was hard to tell just by looking, but…Rin stiffened, knocking over his pen stand as he remembered the smooth press of hard muscles against his body. Fuck. FUCK—no not that, definitely not that. True, he’d never really dated anyone longer than a week or two, but…he was busy, and…and…

“Rin…RIN.” Sousuke snapped his fingers in Rin’s face, and the red-head jumped, nearly toppling over the desk chair. Brows raised, Sousuke fixed studious eyes on Rin as he sank onto his friend’s bed. “I thought you wanted to talk.”

“Right. Right...” Rin ran a hand through his hair, sweeping the red locks back, before joining Sousuke on the bed. “So? What happened?”

“Nothing, really.” He sighed. “A few months after you left, I started getting cramps while swimming and…” Sousuke paused, leaning his elbows on his knees and staring down at his the floor. Taking a deep breath, he continued. “It’s a genetic condition that affects the muscles in my legs. They told me it’s a mild type of muscular dystrophy, but the deterioration is slow, and I’m taking medication, so I should be able to walk until my late-twenties. I can still exercise a little, but…I doubt I could make it across the pool without stopping.”

The words seemed to crawl up Rin’s spine, echoing in his mind until they were nothing but a constant garble of white noise. _I should be able to walk until my late-twenties…_ _I should be able to walk… able to walk…_ Rin pressed his palms to his forehead, forgetting to breathe as he pictured Sousuke, alone in a dark office, listening to a diagnosis that would tear his dreams to shreds. This was bad, far worse than anything Rin had imagined. While he’d been struggling with culture shock, inferiority, and homesickness, his best friend had been dealing with the monstrous realization that in less than twenty years, he'd be confined to a chair, watching Rin stand tall where he could not. It wasn’t possible. The world couldn’t be that cruel. Rin exhaled in a shallow sob, trying desperately to find a way out—to deny this awful truth. Hadn’t he just been admiring his friend’s body seconds ago? But, then… when was the last time he’d seen him in shorts?

Sousuke’s hand found Rin's shaking fingers, and squeezed them gently. "I want you to go, Rin. I want you to succeed where I can't. I know it's selfish, and I know I'll miss you, but seeing you swim for gold would be almost as good as swimming myself..."

“I don’t want to leave you.” Rin said, and as the words left his mouth, he knew they were true. “You can’t…this isn’t something you can deal with on your own."

"I still have time." He smiled, threading his fingers through Rin’s with a sad smile. "I’ll fight as long as I can, and really, it’s…it’s not the end of the world. My parents want me to stay close to home, but some of the schools in Kobe have exchange programs in Sydney."

Fresh tears welled in Rin’s eyes, and he threw his arms around the taller boy, crossing that distance, those years of frigid silence, in the blink of an eye. A small intake of breath, then strong arms closed around his waist, circling his back in a tentative gesture that seemed to test the boundaries of platonic affection.

He let it happen, leaning into the embrace as he lifted his eyes to Sousuke’s face. His friend's expression was timid, almost cautious, his lips slightly parted as though some vital question hovered at the tip of his tongue. A faint flicker of hope sparked in those vibrant blue-green eyes, and it hooked something deep in Rin’s core, drawing him closer as he felt a desperate aching need to see that fire burn. They were close, too close, but neither pulled away. Rin's heart was racing, his skin uncomfortably hot, and then, suddenly he knew—the only thing better than living the Olympic dream, would be living it with Sousuke. Fate might have dealt his friend a shitty hand, but Rin would share every minute he could. The social bullshit wouldn't matter. Being gay, or bi, or whatever this was wouldn't matter. He needed Sousuke, and nothing would stop him from finding some way to make him happy.

“You fucking better come to Sydney.” Rin whispered, before catching his best friend’s lips in a kiss.

Sousuke tensed for a moment, then seemed to melt as he pulled Rin closer, opening his mouth to the kiss, and twisting his fingers in the other boy's hair. It was bliss―more than he could ask for, or even dream of wanting. He groaned, pressing Rin back, and pinning his shoulder to the mattress. Their lips parted and Sousuke spoke his friend's name into that shared breath.

"Rin..." It was low and raw―part plea, part warning.

"I’m...I’m not giving up anything, Sousuke..." Rin panted quietly, faced flushed. "Not the podium…not you…"

Sousuke stared down at him, eyes dark with lust and something that might easily be pain or sorrow.

"You deserve better..." He said, tracing Rin's jaw with his thumb.

"I deserve you..." Rin breathed, and took his hand, kissing it gently.

Sousuke let his forehead fall on Rin's chest, breathing the familiar mix of chlorine, soap, and sea salt. It hurt to breathe. He was close...so close to the one thing he swore he could never have. "Rin, I can't―if you change your mind...if you..." He swallowed.

"I won't, dumbass." He paused and cupped his cheek to make Sousuke look at him. "I won't."

Sousuke looked up, eyes welling with that same mix of pain and longing.

"Please..."

Sousuke took a deep breath, letting his inhibitions slide. He'd given up so much, already―his dreams, his future. It was tempting fate to ask for anything, at this point, but for once he didn't care. Staring into Rin's soft brown eyes, he felt the last thread break. He leaned down, pressing his lips to Rin's with a gentle strength that bordered on possessive.

"Fine." He paused, giving the other boy a weak smile. "Matsuoka Rin, will you go out with me?"

"No shit I will." Rin gave him a pointed look before continue to kiss the taller boy.

Sousuke's mouth curved in a faint smile and he pressed into the kiss, claiming Rin's mouth as he moved his fingers down the well-toned muscles of his chest, unbuttoning his uniform shirt and sliding his palms up under the soft fabric of his undershirt.

Rin sucked in a breath, fingers digging into Sousuke’s neck, back arching as he felt the familiar hands expose his skin. He wasn’t shy. A lifetime of swimsuits and shared changing rooms had long since crushed the notion of personal modesty among peers. But now, with Sousuke’s fingers tracing the lines of his muscles, every nerve in his body seemed to catch fire.

“Sousuke…” Rin exhaled, reaching up to pull at his friend’s T-shirt. Again, a ghost of hesitation flashed across the taller boy’s face, but he didn't complain, allowing Rin to strip the fabric off his body. Rin paused, holding the wrinkled shirt as he studied his friend’s expression. “Is this okay? We can stop, if you want.”

Sousuke gave a short huff of laughter and sat back, drinking in the sight of the read-head’s tousled hair and flushed skin. “I’m fine, Rin. I just…” He flushed, not sure how to explain.

“Rei’s got condoms and stuff in his nightstand.”

“What!? No! Why do you even—” Sousuke swore, rubbing his palms down his heated face. “I’ve never…I don’t…”

“Oh, Ooooh…” Rin sat up, pulling both his shirts over his head and tossing them on the floor with Sousuke’s. “Yeah, okay. We’ll take it slow. I don’t really know what I’m doing, either…not with a guy, anyway―but you know,” The red-head gave his friend a sly smile before flipping him sideways onto the bunk and pinning him to the mattress. Pleased to see the look of surprise on his face, Rin slid his hand down and gave Sousuke a playful squeeze, “there are some things I’m _extremely_ familiar with, and others I know from secondhand observation, but...” Rin’s grin widened as he watched the color creep up Sousuke’s neck, displaying a spectacular array of jagged teeth, which he snapped menacingly. “I’m afraid I might hurt you.”

For a moment the color drained from Sousuke’s face, then he punched Rin in the chest and tried to wrestle him back onto the bed. “You are not. Putting _those_. Anywhere near my junk.” He said, finally managing to pin the other boy, who was shaking with peals of laughter.

“Y-You were fine with kissing me a minute ago!”

“Kissing doesn’t come with a threat of castration!” Sousuke said, grabbing Rin’s pillow and throttling him with it. That sparked another quick tussle than ended with both boys tumbling onto the floor. Rin gasped, laughter finally subsiding as he wrapped his arms around Sousuke in a possessive embrace. He sighed, relaxing against his boyfriend’s chest. They’d get through this. Step by step, they would keep moving forward, and when things got bad, they’d find a way to cope—together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you know why Sousuke is not on the swim team. Please don't kill me.
> 
> I'll probably edit this like twelve times tomorrow, because I haven't proofed it very thoroughly, but it's pretty much done. Fun fact: I almost wrote a blowjob in this scene, but then I remembered Rin's mouth is a freaking bear trap. Also, I've actually only watched season two like...once. So I'm sorry if the characterization is off. Can I claim AU privileges? I'm claiming AU privileges.


	4. Coming Ashore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto learns to walk.  
> Makoto learns to stairs.  
> Makoto learns to pancake.

“You remember everything we talked about, Mako?” Mr. Tachibana said, putting the finishing touches on a water-stained note, before folding it, and passing it to his son with an old house key, his mouth still pulled in a concerned frown.

“Don’t talk to strangers, look both ways before crossing the street, follow traffic signals, listen to the weather report—I know, Dad...I know.” Makoto tucked the letter and the key safely in the back pocket of his jeans. Pockets were an exceptionally convenient invention, though the pinching garment that facilitated them was somewhat less pleasant. But then again, they had been his father’s, so the size difference was mildly encouraging. He was taller than his father had been, and large males were usually more attractive, at least…in most species. His heart fluttered nervously, as he spotted Nagisa. The blonde was still pretty far off, carefully navigating the breakwater with his hands spread like wings in the early morning mist. Even from this distance, Makoto could see he wasn’t very tall…

His father smiled, reaching out of the water to ruffle his son’s drying hair. It looked different out of the water, lighter, more colorful. “You have the map and the money I gave you?”

“Yeah.”

“And the instructions for the ATM in case you can’t reach Kazuma?”

“Yeah…”

“Hey.” He flicked the teenager’s nose, smiling up at him with pride and trust. “You look fine and you’re going to have a great time, I promise. Now, go tell that idiot to get his skinny ass off the tetrapods.”

“Thanks, dad…” Makoto sighed, wishing he could hug his father one last time, but he made due with a handshake, squeezing the merman’s strong fingers with a loving gesture. “I’ll miss you.”

“We’ll miss you, too, son.” The fingers slackened, and Makoto’s father sank back into the water. “I’ll check in every Friday. If you can’t make it in person, leave a note so we know you’re okay.”

He nodded, straightening up as he said his goodbyes, watching his father disappear back under the waves. With a long breath, Makoto steeled his nerves and climbed out of the breakwater, lifting the unfamiliar weight of his body onto the quay. With some effort, he managed to stand, knees shaking as he tried to find his balance. The concrete felt rough and solid under his feet, and the sea breeze was a poor substitute for the natural rhythm of ocean currents. Swearing softly, the brunette couldn’t help but wonder how Nagisa was navigating the line of strange concrete blobs without falling on his ass.

“Maaaakooooo~♪” The familiar voice carried over the water, clipped and buffeted by the wind. Nagisa hopped up off the triangular shapes, landing lightly on the quay and sprinting toward his friend. “Sorry! I had to go get my stash off the beach! How do I look?” He asked, giving a graceful pirouette to show off his sunshine-yellow track jacket and loose-fitting swim trunks.

“You look very, uh…vibrant.” Makoto said, taking in the bright multicolored camouflage pattern with a polite smile. “You don’t have a shirt?”

“Don’t need one.” He shrugged. “Not this close to the beach, but I’ll zip the jacket if it gets weird.”

“Right, well, we should proba—” Makoto took a step toward the road, over-balanced, and fell to his knees. Nagisa managed to catch him before his face hit the concrete, but that didn’t stop the pain shooting up his legs. “Ow…”

“Jeeze, Mako…” Nagisa muttered, pulling him up. “Have you _ever_ had legs before…?”

“Once.” He admitted sullenly, leaning on his friend’s shoulders. “When I fell asleep in the sun.”

The blonde rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Well, you better learn quick, or people are going to think you’re drunk.”

“Think I drunk what?”

Nagisa groaned. “For the love of—just follow me and try to get your balance, okay?”

They shuffled along the quay, Makoto following the smaller boy’s rhythm and balance until he gradually learned how to center his weight. It took some time, but he slowly lifted his weight off the smaller boy’s shoulders, graduating to an encouraging handhold before finally teetering on his own two feet like a victorious toddler. It wasn’t perfect. He still wobbled occasionally, but at least he wasn’t falling all over himself.

“Okay, you can do this.” Nagisa’s voice wavered. He stood behind Makoto, who had his foot on the first of many stairs. “Just hold the rail and lean forward if you start to fall.”

Stairs, it transpired, were rectangular blocks, stacked at an incline to allow land bound mammals access to elevated areas—and they were absolutely terrifying. The quiet town of Iwatobi housed over 12,000 humans in jumbled clusters of weather-beaten dwellings. Unfortunately, most of those clusters sprawled upwards, slinking up the sides of the surrounding mountains like a spreading crop of seaweed. That meant, stairs. Lots of stairs. And wouldn’t you know, according to his father’s map, Kazuma Tachibana lived somewhere at the top.

“I changed my mind…” Makoto said, leaning against the railing for the fourth time and gasping as his heart thundered in his ears. They’d made it past the shrine, up the narrow road, and were currently about one-fourth of the way up the bottleneck stairway leading up the mountain. Up ahead, there was no railing. “This is a stupid way to die. I want to go home.”

“Going down is worse.” Nagisa said in a tired voice. “Come on, I barely slept last night and people are going to start getting up soon. Do you really want them to see this? Because I’m telling you, a teenage boy clinging to the staircase and crying like a baby—that’s something they’ll remember.”

Makoto groaned, took a deep breath, and let go of the railing, trudging slowly and carefully up the incline.

“There you go…” The blonde walked beside him, one hand held behind his back like a support brace. Bit by bit, step by step, they progressed upward, stopping now and then to smile and wave at waking residents. It was awkward, even without the crying and the clinging, people stared at them with open abandon, and Makoto felt their eyes prickle against the skin of his back. As they crossed the halfway point, a white animal jumped down from a garden wall with a high, keening cry. Makoto jumped, arms wind-milling as he lost his balance and grabbed at Nagisa, who just barely managed to direct their fall forward. The creature gave them a disdainful glare, flicking a long white tail as it scurried off into a neighboring alley.

“Wh-what was that?” Makoto asked, lifting his head to peer after the creature in abject horror.

“A cat, I think.” Nagisa answered, pulling himself off the brunette’s back and examining the red scrape on his leg. “I’ve seen a few around town, but never that close. Mako, you need to chill or you really are going to kill us. Look at this leg—this brand new leg.” He gestured emphatically at the abused appendage.

“Sorry…” Makoto blushed, mortified. “Are you okay…?”

“Yeah, I’ll live.” The other sighed. “It’ll heal in a few days, maybe less if I change. Hey, are we supposed to go right or left?”

Bracing himself on the stairs, Makoto stood up, checking the map as he looked between the split stairwell. His father’s handwriting clearly indicated the right hand staircase, but something about the path on the left felt bizarrely familiar. Makoto was certain he’d never been here in his life—he’d only just learned to walk, after all—but for some reason that path drew his attention, guiding his eyes up the steep incline to the wooden house that sat at the top of the stairs. It looked cold and vacant, wooden shutters pulled tight against the morning breeze.

“It says right…” He said, breathing deeply as the currents of air blew through his hair, carrying a bittersweet aroma of salt and sadness. With some reluctance, Makoto wrenched his eyes from the building. “The house should be just up those stairs.”

They turned, climbing the final stretch until they came to a wooden gate. They stood there for a moment, silently assessing the flimsy barrier before Nagisa reached out, flipped the latch, and gingerly pushed the gate open. “After you.”

The house was larger than he’d expected, two stories high with wooden shutters and faded black roof tiles. Brightly colored flowers dotted the cramped garden, interrupted by various human artifacts. Two were clearly ‘bicycles,’ one of several vehicles his father had warned him about, but apart from that, he was at a loss.

Approaching the door, Makoto stood, knuckles hovering in midair. He swallowed, casting about for the right words. Truthfully, he’d never really thought of Kazuma Tachibana as family. He’d seen the man once when he was very small. They had crept from the colony in the dead of night, Makoto clinging to his father’s tail as they shot toward the dim light of a fishing boat. He remembered the hovering orb, the sloshing waves, and the strange smell as his father lifted him into the man’s arms. He’d cried. Shocked by the lack of water and distressed by the foreign smell, his miniature tail thrashed rebelliously as his chubby arms pushed against the fisherman’s vest. The man spoke, and his father laughed, leaning over the boat to give his son a reassuring kiss. Makoto held his hand, confused, because somewhere under the layers of dead squid and human perspiration, there was…family. He was family. Sucking in a sharp breath, Makoto closed his eyes and knocked.

Nothing happened. He knocked again, then a third time. He was about to go around the windows, when the door finally opened. Makoto blinked. A little girl stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes as she stared blearily up at the two teenagers with something like disappointment. Between the tired eyes and the wrinkled nightgown, it was obvious they’d woken her. Makoto felt a guilty stab of uncertainty. Did his uncle have a family?

“Wh-who’s there?” She asked in a slur that was barely recognizable as speech.

“Oh…” Makoto blinked and glanced at Nagisa, who shrugged, pointing at a plaque on the door that clearly displayed the name Tachibana. Resting a hand on the building, the taller boy dropped down to her level. “Um, hey. I’m looking for Kazuma Tachibana. Does he live here?”

The girl gave a groggy nod, before shuffling back into the house. She stopped at the stairs and leaned on the railing. “Daddy!”

There was a loud bang from upstairs, and a tall man came thundering down the stairs, trailing a light blanket as he tied the strings of a rumpled jinbei. “What is it, Kei? Are you hurt?” He stopped at the end of the stairs, eyes widening as his daughter points to the door. “Kou—no…Makoto?” He shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and blinked several times. When nothing changed, he took a careful step forward, a tentative smile stretching across his tanned face. “Is that really you?”

“Y-yeah…” Makoto pulled himself up and reached for the letter. He barely had it out when he was lifted off the floor in a tight embrace—a feat he wouldn’t have thought possible, given his size, but apparently his uncle had the muscle power of a killer whale. After a moment Makoto’s feet touched the floor and he caught the same smell from his memory. It was different now…less dead squid, more floral soaps and human sweat, but he could still detect a trace of his father. He returned the hug, barely minding the scratch of the man’s unshaven cheek.

“God, this is unbelievable.” Kazuma let go of his nephew, holding him at arm’s length and beaming as he studied the boy’s face. “You look just like your father. Did Kouhei send you? Is he alright?”

“Yeah, Dad’s fine. He wrote you a letter…” Makoto held the letter out and looked away, relieved and encouraged by the man’s enthusiasm. “My friend Nagisa and I are planning to stay a while, and he thought you’d be able to help us get settled.”

“Oh, sure. It’s no trouble at all.” Kazuma took the letter, waving the boys inside as he unfolded the water-damaged paper. “I’ve got a spare room and, if it’s not asking too much, I could use some help around the house.”

Nagisa stepped in behind Makoto and closed the door, eyeing the assortment of odd shoes and broken umbrellas. The mess didn’t fit his image of humanity at all. He’d never been up to the residential area, but he’d been to restaurants, karaoke booths, and convenience stores, all of which had perfectly organized to the point of absurdity. He looked to Makoto, listening as his friend promised to do whatever chores they could manage. Then, his eyes fell on a collection of photographs hanging above the hall table. Most were candid shots of the little girl, documenting every stage of her life from infancy to present day, but here and there, he saw Makoto’s uncle and a pretty woman with short brown hair. Nagisa frowned, looking back at the pile of shoes, all tiny pink sandals and scuffed loafers. A strange sense of incongruity itched at his brain, but he couldn’t quite place it.

The girl drew up beside her father, gripping his striped trousers as she peered out at the boys. Kazuma placed a comforting hand on her head and looked up from the letter. “Oh, this is my daughter, Keito. She’s not supposed to answer the door by herself, but…” He paused, tucking the letter in his pocket as he gave her brown hair a gentle pat. “Kei, go get dressed while I fix breakfast.”

“Can I have pancakes…?”

“Sure, hon.” Kazuma smiled. “I’ll try not to burn them.”

Once Keito was safely upstairs, they added their shoes to the pile, and followed Makoto’s uncle to the kitchen. Kazuma began to open cabinets and drawers, passing cooking utensils to the boys as he spoke. Makoto found himself staring blankly at a bowl and a strange wire contraption that looked like it might be used for torture.

“So…I know we only just met, but…we’re family, and if you plan on staying here, you really ought to know.” He took the bowl from Makoto and began measuring out a large quantity of white powder, “My wife passed away last year, and Kei…hasn’t really accepted it. Neither have I, to be honest…” He paused, staring down at row of white eggs with a dark expression.

“Oh…” Nagisa breathed with dawning comprehension as he shared a significant look with Makoto. Losing a mate was a truly awful experience, and depending on the strength of a pair’s bond, it could prove fatal. That certainly explained the cluttered living space and the lack of women’s shoes.

“We…it was an odd accident. I tried to get in touch with Kouhei when it happened, but I work on a rig now, and the breakwaters destroyed most of our old hiding spots.”

“What happened?” Makoto asked tentatively.

“She disappeared—vanished in the middle of a dive and nobody knows what happened. I’ve heard everything from failed equipment to a shark attack, but Arina was an experienced diver…she was a scientist, for God’s sake. It was her job. And with everything Kouhei told me about the colony, I couldn’t help but wonder…”

“You think someone took her.” Nagisa said, watching numbly as Kazuma cracked a white orb and added it to the mixture. His blood felt suddenly cold, because it was possible—not even possible, but probable.

The colony had laws regarding human interaction, but they were extremely one sided, meant to protect the safety and secrecy of the colony, not to keep wayward humans from harm. Historically, bonding and mating with humans had been quite common. It was the reason sailors held so many superstitions about bringing women on sea voyages. In the colony, before classes were divided into mating roles, they’d spent several weeks studying clan history, reciting songs and poems about famous sirens, powerful breeders who had terrorized the Japan sea, luring entire ships to their doom to snatch a single female from their midst. It had easily been the most enjoyable part of Nagisa’s education, especially since his mother was allegedly descended from the last great siren of the era. Back then, the colony had been scattered across the East Sea, and having a bonded human in your clan, particularly a human female, had been a show of power and status.

All that changed when humanity lost their fear of the ocean and began venturing deeper beneath its surface, pushing the scattered clans together, and forcing them to give up their territory. The necessity was met with bitterness and spite, and some of the oldest clans had refused to hide, electing to take a more violent approach. Under the cover of wars and storms, they distracted sailors and sabotaged engines, sinking ships and submarines in a vindictive fury, but when the humans failed to take notice, a group of renegade clans began to move in a different direction, planning an entreaty to the human race that would expose the entire species.

That motion sparked the first organized conflict between allied clans. It was violent and ruthless, but the colony’s greater numbers prevailed, and the renegades were executed, leaving the rest of the clans safe below the East Sea, away from the comforts and dangers of the surface. The taboo on human bonding was rooted in that conflict, but in the end it was just that, a taboo. If inseminators were desperate enough to buy access to an ovipara’s batch, who’s to say they wouldn’t revive that old custom?

“Well…I’m supposed to meet with Dad on Friday, so I’ll definitely ask him to check, unless…” Makoto passed his uncle the wire instrument when prompted and Kazuma began to whip the thickening mixture into a taupe sludge. “…you want to see him?”

Kazuma paused, tapping the wire beater on the edge of the bowl with the smallest of smiles. “Of course…I’d love to see Kouhei. How have you been, anyway? I haven’t seen you since you were a toddler.”

Mako smiled, happy to steer the conversation back into more cheerful waters. He told his uncle about growing up in the colony, leaving out a lot of drama about the move and the declining integrity of the underwater caverns. Nagisa contributed here and there, talking about his classes and how excited he was to start human school. Makoto felt he rather liked his uncle. The man was bright and kind and genuinely concerned about his family. He was positively delighted to hear that his brother had twins—“Serves him right after all the shit we pulled.” And Makoto realized, though it was hard to tell with the thick layer of growing whiskers and thicker glasses, the man did looked strikingly similar to his father. With that knowledge, came a pang of guilty wonder, because his father had chosen to leave his sibling’s side forever just to be with the person he loved. Makoto couldn’t imagine making that choice. He’d always assumed that if he took a human mate, the human would be the one to compromise, but what if Haruka refused to leave? Would he have to say goodbye to his parents and siblings, forever?

By the time Keito returned, dressed in a ruffled skort and a pink T-shirt, the pancakes were ready, and only slightly burned. Even with the slight charring, the strange floppy discs were sinfully delicious, and Makoto found himself reaching for the maple syrup as he started on his fourth helping.

“Well, I’m not sure how we’re going to manage school—here you go sweetie.” Kazuma mused, placing a specially crafted Mickey Mouse pancake in front of his daughter, who thanked him and pulled up her chair, legs swinging as she reached for the syrup. “High school isn’t mandatory here, so you have to test into most schools, and I doubt your lessons at the colony will help much. Do either of you speak a foreign language, maybe Korean or Chinese?”

“We learned whale in school.” Nagisa said. “Does that count?”

“Dad tried to teach me some English, but I never got the hang of it.”

Kazuma scoffed. “Neither did he. Well, the foreign exchange student angle is out, then, but I suppose we could ask—”

“Actually…” Nagisa interrupted, blushing slightly as he spoke. “I’m pretty sure I can convince the right people if I get the chance.”

“It’s not that easy, Nagisa. I’m sure Makoto's father has enough to cover tuition, but you're years behind in every subject.”

“No, I mean…I can _convince_ him.” Nagisa gave Makoto a meaningful look, but saw nothing but confusion on his friend’s face. “Fish guts, Mako! I’m a _siren_. My voice changed over a year ago. You didn’t notice?”

“Oh…No, I really didn’t.”

The blonde sighed, stuffing a mouthful of pancake in his mouth and chewing vindictively. “That’s the only reason my family let me get a job last summer. I was supposed to be practicing.”

“Oh…Well, it obviously didn’t work on Rei.”

Nagisa flushed. “I didn’t want it to work on Rei.”

Kazuma dumped the empty frying pan in the sink and wiped his hands on his apron. “Are you telling me you two can control minds?”

“No, not the two of us—just me, and I wouldn’t call it _control._ ” He said, taking another large bite and chewing as he considered how to explain. “It’s more like powerful suggestion? I moderate my words a certain way, and most humans feel a strong inclination to obey. It varies in strength depending on the person, but it got free food every day last summer.”

“Okay…I think we can work with that, but we’ll have to plan things carefully, because neither of you have the right documentation. I mean, Makoto’s registered at city hall, but you’re not, and you've never been to school. Won’t they come to their senses eventually?”

Nagisa shrugged. “I think it depends on the person, but I don’t usually stick around long enough for it to matter. Could they lose whatever documentation we’re missing?”

“Probably…” Kazuma pulled out a chair and set his plate on the table, absentmindedly watching as his daughter dipped the last of Mickey’s ear in a pool of syrup. “The records, definitely, but the test results…” Glancing up at the clock, he turned back to Keito. “Sweetie, you better hurry. You’re group is going to leave without you, and I can’t take you to school today.”

“Noooooo…” Keito whined and shook her head, kicking her heels against the chair.

“Kei, I know you’re having a hard time, but I can’t miss work again.” Leaving his plate untouched, Kazuma rounded the table and lifted her into his arms. “I’ll walk you to the meeting point, okay?”

She nodded, burying her face in his shoulder.

“I’ll be back in a few, boys.” Makoto’s uncle said, shooting the boys an apologetic smile. “Feel free to polish off the pancakes.”

Nagisa wasted no time in grabbing the last of the sweet cakes, leaving Makoto trapped in an awkward silence. Without the distraction of conversation, the cluttered kitchen seemed to close around him. He felt completely out of place. The light was different, the food was different, the sounds were different, and the lack of motion was staring to make him feel mildly queasy.

“Neptune’s ass, this is delicious!” Nagisa said, chewing through his words. “I’d live up here just for the food!”

“Ugh, Please don’t…” Makoto muttered, pushing his plate aside and resting his head on the table. “I think I need to lie down.”

“Land-sickness already?” The blonde asked, giving his friend a sympathetic pat.

“The world is swinging and my head feels like a pancake.”

“Yeah, that’s land sickness.” Nagisa laughed. “Rei tried to explain about buoyancy and tidal currents, but it didn't make any sense.”

Makoto groaned, turning his head so his cheek was plastered against the table.

“You’ll be fiiiiine. It goes away after a few days, and you’ll get used to the extra weight.” He yawned. “I wouldn’t mind a nap, though. I'm beat.”

“Why didn’t tell me your voice changed?” The larger teen asked. Anything to keep his mind off the acid creeping up his esophagus.

The blonde shrugged. “I don’t know…it’s not really news, is it? I mean, my mom’s a siren, my grandfather’s a siren, his mother was a siren—you get the picture.”

“Yeah, but it’s kind of important, isn’t it?”

“Not to me.” Nagisa scoffed, “It was supposed to get me a better mate, but I already have Rei, so I don’t give a flipping flounder.”

“It’ll work, though, right? I don’t want to get my uncle in trouble.”

“Of course it will, but I’ll practice if you want.” Nagisa stretched both arms in the air and yawned. “We’ve got to go shopping, anyway.”

Makoto groaned. That sounded like a lot more motion than he could handle. Were there even shops nearby? He thought back, trying to remember if he’d seen any on the way. There were plenty of homes, but nothing that seemed likely to have clothing or shoes. What else did they need? What did human kids even bring to school? It would have been so much easier to catch Haru while he was swimming and…and what? Carry him off to a cave? Woo him with raw mackerel until he agreed to change? Makoto sighed. Everything would be so much easier if he knew how his childhood friend would react.

“Ok,” Nagisa pulled a pad of paper and a pen from a small table next to the door, “let’s make a list of things we have to do before we transfer to Samezuka.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now! I might be tired, but I want to see Rei!” Biting off the cap, the blonde scrawled as he spoke. “Practice….compulsion…on unsuspecting…shop attendants…”

“Test my dad’s ATM card.” Makoto sighed, resigned to the inevitable.

By the time Kazuma returned, they had written:

To which he added:

There was no shop within immediate walking distance, so the first order of business would be bus schedules, though in the long run they’d be expected to bike. Makoto felt a vague sense of pride that he knew both those words, even if they filled him with a sense of impending doom. Not only would he have to go down all those stairs again, he would also have to ride a moving vehicle around total strangers while the world swayed violently under his feet. Honestly, he wasn’t particularly looking forward to any of the proposed actions, with the possible exception of Haruka’s gift. He knew what he’d like to give his childhood friend, but the drama with Kisumi was so recent that he doubted he could do so with a clear conscience. Plus, as a human, Haru would be just as ignorant of the implication as he himself had been. No, it would be much better to start off small—something simple and nice that would remind Haru of their time together.

“You’re not going to give us the schedules now?” Nagisa asked, and Makoto felt his heart leap with relief.

“No. Makoto’s turning green, and I don’t want anybody taking him to the hospital.” Kazuma answered, picking up a few towels and some clothes from a hall closet as he showed Nagisa and Mako to the spare bedroom. “Just relax. Get used to solid ground, and I’ll take you into town when I get off work.”

“Fine…” Nagisa muttered, moving to help Makoto’s uncle pull futons from the room’s closet. Once they were settled, Kazuma hesitated for a moment, then brought a small bucket.

“Just in case.” He said, placing the bucket next to Makoto’s futon. “If you feel like throwing up, try not to get it on the tatami.”

With that, Kazuma said his goodbyes, and dashed off to get ready for work. Trying not to focus on the swaying room or the endless list of obligations, Makoto peeled off his T-shirt and jeans, and fell onto his futon, delighted to be horizontal at last. The world was still swaying, but at least this way he could pretend it was the ocean.

"You're supposed to...never mind." Nagisa rolled his eyes, watching his friend's back rise and fall in long, steady breaths. Shucking his own clothes, he quickly changed into the pajamas their host had provided. With any luck, Kazuma would be back before his daughter, but just to be safe, he draped a towel over Makoto's (rather impressive, but not as awesome as Rei's) ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the blip update. My image host decided it hates me and won't allow image linking anymore. Major accomplishment in this chapter: pancakes. 
> 
> Makoto is an adorable piece of shit (and also pretty much naked.)

**Author's Note:**

> So...this isn't my best writing. I just want to satisfying my urge for fish-boys and burn through this writer's block. Many thanks to NamineTashio for being a wonderful friend and merman enthusiast. Comments, kudos, and corrections are welcome. More to come. I might actually write a summary...one day.
> 
> Nami Amagawa: Haruka, Sousuke, Nagisa, Ai, Kisumi, et al.  
> NamineTashio: Makoto, Rin, Rei, et al.
> 
> Editing and Graphics: Nami Amagawa


End file.
